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Mariam Elba, ProPublica

How the head of an embattled Tennessee youth detention center held on to power for decades

Paige PflegerandMariam Elba, ProPublica

June 7, 2025

Richard L. Bean remained in his perch as the superintendent of the juvenile detention center that bears his name despite scandals, investigations, and the use of seclusion to punish children.

Filed Under: Criminal Justice, WPLN News Tagged With: juvenile justice, Knoxville, Richard L. Bean Center

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